Guest Column

One of the unique things about Indiana’s state government is that we have a part-time legislature. This means we only meet and vote on legislation for about three to four months at the start of each year. The rest of the year is spent back home with our families and constituents, focusing on local issues and oftentimes pursuing a career outside our elected position. I have been selling homes with my wife, Volly, for nearly 40 years. Being a citizen legislator allows me to bring a unique set of skills and perspective to the Statehouse while I represent our community.

Even though the legislature completes their official business during the first few months of the year, lawmakers continue to hold interim study committee meetings throughout the summer and fall months to discuss potential legislation and issues facing the state. During the legislative session, there are hundreds of bills filed. To ensure we do not tackle any issue too hastily, we devote a lot of time researching proposed legislation. Because we only have a short amount of time to fully vet bills under consideration, we sometimes recommend topics be considered by a study committee after the legislative session. These committees, just like standing committees, are made up of part-time citizen legislators who have experience working in an industry or with a particular policy topic.

This year, I am serving as the vice chair of the Interim Study Committee on Pension Management Oversight and as a member of the Interim Study Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance.

Every year, the Interim Study Committee on Pension Management Oversight takes a hard look at the state’s public pension program, vetting any proposed changes. This committee plays a critical role in maintaining Indiana’s public pension plans, so hardworking Hoosiers are able to save for and enjoy retirement with peace of mind. I’m passionate about this because our retired public employees spent a majority of their life serving our great state and deserve the retirement money they saved through our public plans.

The Interim Study Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance has been working to find ways to streamline our banking laws and cut unnecessary red tap in the insurance industry. Over the years, our insurance laws and requirements have grown so much that they have begun to place a burden on Hoosiers. Through our meetings we hope to find solutions to make any reporting requirements easy and efficient.

Most of the interim study committees are already holding meetings. You can find a complete schedule at iga.in.gov as well as watch archived and live meetings. The public is always encouraged to attend these meetings, and if we are discussing a topic that directly impacts you, we welcome you to testify and share your experience before the committee. Hoosiers offer great insight on issues that need to be addressed.

If you have any questions about study committees or the legislative process, please contact me at 317-232-9648 or h58@iga.in.gov. I also encourage you to sign up for my e-newsletters to receive regular updates at www.in.gov/h58.

This past legislative session, the General Assembly worked hard to create and implement a long-term, data-driven road plan that provides much needed funding to fix and maintain our transportation infrastructure over the next 20 years. As the Crossroads of America, our economy is impacted by the condition of our roads and bridges, so it was important that we invested wisely without incurring new debt that would place a financial burden on future generations.

As a result of this comprehensive road funding package, our community will receive nearly $177 million for infrastructure projects over the next five years under the ‘Next Level Roads’ initiative. These state projects in our area will include resurfacing 115 lane miles and replacing or rehabilitating 10 bridges. These new projects will increase safety, prevent everyday wear and tear on our vehicles, and serve as a boon for our economy.

This funding does not include the Community Crossings Matching Grants, which have yet to be distributed to local governments. Last year, Johnson County and cities and towns in our area received grants that helped jumpstart and complete many local projects. I look forward to seeing the various infrastructure improvement projects occurring throughout our community as well as the state in the coming years.

Recently, you may have experienced some road construction on U.S. Highway 31 and State Road 135 in Johnson County. Right now, it seems like a terrible inconvenience, but once these projects are complete, I believe it will be well worth it.

While these projects are taking place, please remember to exercise caution when driving through work zones. Since 2014, at least 12 people have been killed every year by crashes within INDOT work zones. To help keep Hoosiers safe, remember these safe driving tips: be prepared for unexpected changes in lanes and speed limits; don’t text or talk on the phone; maintain a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of you; and expect delays. When making your travel plans, you can find real-time traffic conditions on INDOT’s website at www.in.gov/indot.

As your state representative, I strive to ensure that you and your family are informed on the important issues that are discussed and voted on at the Statehouse. I know many people had concerns initially about where the money for our 20-year infrastructure funding plan would come from and how it would be used, and some still do. I completely understand that. In fact, I had initial concerns too. Raising user fees is not something anyone likes to do; however, the data shows that we needed to take quick action to ensure our roads and bridges will be maintained for generations to come. I’ve had many conversations with people from our community, and after sharing all the facts, most people agreed that our plan was necessary and the best possible solution: The more you use the roads, the more you will contribute directly to their upkeep. This is only fair. I hope as you see more and more work being done to improve our roadways, you can see these user fees as worthwhile investments in our state.

If you have any questions or concerns about road funding or any issues facing our state, please contact me at 317-232-9648 or h58@iga.in.gov. I also encourage you to sign up for my e-newsletters to receive regular updates at www.in.gov/h58.

Now that the 2017 legislative session has concluded, there’s a lot to reflect on. The General Assembly considered a variety of issues and ultimately sent Gov. Eric Holcomb 251 pieces of legislation to potentially sign into law. One of the biggest bills this session was the state’s long-term road funding plan.

If you’ve driven across the state lately, I’m sure you’ll agree that our roads need some work. Over the last several years, the General Assembly has been looking at the best way to increase funding for our transportation infrastructure. I’m happy to report that House Republicans created a 20-year, long-term funding plan that takes care of our current needs, finishes projects we’ve already started and addresses future plans. If we had not acted this year, Indiana’s roads and bridges would face on average a $1.2 billion annual funding shortfall over the next two decades.

To ensure our roads and bridges are safe, we developed a data-driven plan that provides immediate and ongoing funding increases for local and state roads in a sustainable manner. Starting in July, state road funding will see a $357 million increase, while local road funding will receive an additional $260 million.

In order to do this, a user-fee approach will be implemented so that those using the roads, pay for the roads. The user fee on gasoline, special fuel and motor carrier surcharge taxes will each be increased by 10 cents. Raising these fees was not an easy decision for me, nor was it one that I took lightly. However, these fees, in their present form, have lost their buying power over the years due to inflation. The funds being generated by our current fuel tax structure cannot keep up with our transportation infrastructure demands. The fee on gas hasn’t been changed since 2003, while the fees on diesel and motor carrier surcharge haven’t been adjusted for inflation since 1988.

While we were developing this plan, we knew that we needed to support local road projects, so we developed specific funding mechanisms to ensure our local roads aren’t forgotten. A $15 annual statewide infrastructure improvement fee will be placed on all vehicles registered in Indiana. Since hybrids and electric vehicles use the roads, but pay little to nothing in fuel taxes, the fees on these vehicles will be $50 and $150, respectively. All the money collected by these fees will go to the Community Crossings Matching Grant Fund. This fund doubles, and in some cases triples, local government spending on road and bridge repairs, bringing improvements to smaller cities, towns and counties.

On average, this road funding plan will cost Hoosiers around $5 a month. Another thing to note, all the fees paid at the pump will go exclusively to fund roads. This was a necessary step to ensure that Indiana remains the Crossroads of America.

If you have any questions or concerns about the road funding plan or any other legislation that was considered this year, please contact me at 317-232-9648 or h58@iga.in.gov.

Last week, the Indiana General Assembly adjourned Sine Die. This means we have completed all of our business for the session. It was a quick session with many issues addressed. I am always impressed with all the work we are able to accomplish in just 10 weeks. This year, we were able to find solutions to issues surrounding the 2015 ISTEP scores, address the future of ISTEP, create a plan that meets Indiana’s immediate road funding needs and take serious steps to curb illegal drug use in our state.

I take my job as a member of the House Committee on Education very seriously and work hard to ensure our education system is the best it can be. To prevent negative repercussions from the 2015 spring ISTEP test scores, two pieces of legislation progressed quickly through the process and were signed into the law within the first month of session. Last year, Indiana transitioned to new, more rigorous academic standards. Teacher performance evaluations and school A-F ratings were decoupled from those test scores under House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1003 and Senate Enrolled Act 200, respectively.

We also took a hard look at the current ISTEP test. If enacted, HEA 1395 would repeal ISTEP on July 1, 2017. Over the next few months, a commission—comprised of mostly educators—will examine our current accountability metrics and find the best possible replacement.

For months, leaders of the General Assembly worked diligently to address the funding needs of our transportation infrastructure. House Enrolled Act 1001 directs $186 million upfront to a newly created local road and bridge matching grant. The legislation also redirects 1.5 cents of the 7 cents of sales tax on gasoline to the matching account as a source of ongoing funding and codifies the current equivalent of 1 cent already being dedicated to road funding. This means 2.5 cents of every 7 cents per gallon in sales tax is going toward roads—that’s in addition to the state’s 18-cent gasoline excise tax, which is already dedicated solely toward roads and bridges. An additional $328 million would go toward state road and bridge maintenance over the next two years. Next year, lawmakers will need to continue working on a long-term plan that will address our future road funding needs.

Under Senate Enrolled Act 67, local governments would receive up to $430 million for road and bridge improvements across the state. In addition, about $505 million in local option income tax reserves currently held by the state will be returned to local units with $330 million dedicated to roads.

Indiana has led the nation in methamphetamine lab incidents for the third consecutive year. I was proud to support legislation that tackles the meth scourge afflicting our state. Senate Enrolled Act 80 maintains legitimate access to pseudoephedrine (PSE)—an ingredient in certain cold, flu and allergy medications and an essential precursor to make meth—to Hoosiers without a prescription. Pharmacists, upon making a professional determination, may sell an extraction-resistant PSE formulation or a smaller package of PSE to a purchaser who does not have a current relationship with the pharmacy. A prescription would only be required if a purchaser refuses the alternative options.

House Enrolled Act 1157 makes it illegal for meth-related felons to possess PSE without a prescription. A stop-sale alert would be issued by the National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx), a real-time electronic tracking system used by pharmacies and law enforcement, when one of these felons attempts to purchase PSE in Indiana.

Finally, there was a brief discussion of adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes in Indiana’s civil rights statute. While the House of Representatives did not vote on a specific piece of legislation, there were several amendments considered in committees and on the House floor. These amendments were not successful.

While I may not always agree with those who contact me on issues, I will continue to listen to anyone who reaches out to me. In order to represent you effectively, I encourage those with questions or concerns to contact me at 317-232-9648 or h58@iga.in.gov. I look forward to hearing from you while I continue to represent our community.

As you may know, the Indiana General Assembly operates as a citizen legislature, meaning we only meet at the Statehouse for a few months. The rest of the year is spent back home, in district. The most rewarding part of being a state representative is helping those in my community directly. Often times, a person contacts me or my office when they feel they have limited options or do not know where else to turn. I am always willing to help find a solution and make sure your needs are heard and addressed.

There are many issues that are brought to my attention by constituents. Sometimes it is an idea for legislation and sometimes it is a little more complex. A lot of times, you may have a problem, but you aren’t sure who to reach out to. As your state representative, one of my responsibilities is to act as a liaison between you and state agencies to help address your concerns more efficiently.

Many state agencies are able to give you answers, provide you resources and offer you support. When you call my office for help, we work with the agency to get you the best possible solution as quick as possible. State agencies like the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) or the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) are valuable resources, and I encourage everyone to utilize them if you ever need to. You can find contact information along with descriptions for all the state agencies at www.in.gov/core/find_agency.html.

For many years, I have worked closely with FSSA to assist people applying for certain programs, especially those that help families through tough times. I have helped numerous individuals, who were put on a waiting list for child care vouchers for example, get in contact with FSSA. Within a short amount of time, they were able to get their problem resolved.

Other examples include assisting individuals with questions regarding income levels and how that could affect their eligibility for the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) 2.0. After putting them in contact with FSSA, they were able to assist them and clarify the criteria for HIP 2.0. In many situations, we can get help to you quicker by finding out what might be delaying the process and get the needed information. Being a resource for my constituents is just one of the many duties I have as a state representative.

Throughout the interim, we conduct and meet on study committees. This gives us an opportunity to study topics and potential legislation. We work diligently to understand all aspects of different legislative topics as we consider them for law, which is why interim study committees are so vital to the legislative process.

This year, I am honored to be appointed to three committees. I will be serving as Vice Chair of the Interim Study Committee on Pension Management Oversight and sitting on the Interim Study Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance as well as a member of the Military Base Planning Council. I am eager to begin meeting with these committees to continue working for our great state.

I strive to be a resource for you to use all year long. If you are need of assistance or have questions, please reach out to my office by phone at 317-232-9648 or by email at h58@iga.in.gov. Members of my community are important to me, and I want you to know you have a voice in your state government.